Long-standing Anxiety and Sudden OCD

Summary:

Chris sought help for OCD that came on suddenly a few years prior. He is 37 years old. While he had dealt with anxiety and panic attacks occasionally since adolescence, this OCD was a new experience and he felt strongly that it was not just a worsening of his anxiety. He had a family history of autoimmune conditions, but a relatively mild health history otherwise. It was notable that he could remember the exact day the OCD started and that shortly before he had dealt with what he referred to as 'the worst food poisoning'.

How the case was evaluated:

• • • Genetic testing had been completed previously and showed several positive markers, including MTHFR, COMT, MAO, GAD, and ACE.
    • Stool testing showed a general gut dysbiosis, but thankfully no pathogenic organisms.
    • Comprehensive blood testing showed positive autoimmune markers and a zinc deficiency.
    • Follow up neurological autoimmune testing identified positive DRD2 antibodies.

Assessment:

Based on his genetics, Chris has a strong genetic predisposition to anxiety that explains his long standing anxiety. His stool testing showed that his intestines clearly needed help getting back to a healthy microbiome balance. The positive autoimmune markers led to follow up testing that showed the neurological antibodies that put Chris in the category of 'adult PANS'. His OCD is suspected to have been triggered by an intestinal infection that triggered an autoimmune reaction that targeted a dopamine receptor in his brain.

Treatment:

• • • Focused supplementation to support his known genetic mutations. While treatment cannot 'fix' the mutations, supporting those pathways and easing their burdens can notably reduce or eliminate symptoms.
    • Gut biome treatment to reduce problematic organisms and replenish and increase the 'good bacteria'.
    • Zinc deficiency was resolved. As a critical co-factor for numerous pathways, zinc deficiency is a critical nutrient tested.
    • Anti-inflammatory supplementation and dietary changes were made to reduce neurological inflammation.
    • An individualized protocol to reduce autoimmunity was implemented.

Outcome:

Chris has seen a notable and ongoing decrease in his OCD severity and his anxiety is less impacting on his daily life. Due to his genetic predispositions and the long standing nature of the autoimmune OCD his case is expected to have a graduated improvement and to be an ongoing journey. He has seen the benefits of staying focused on his treatments and feels that his quality of life is dramaticaly improved compared to before treatment.